Doctors reveal what could be behind ‘yellow-eyed’ Randy Moss’ health scare

Football legend Randy Moss sparked concern this week after he said he was “battling” an undisclosed health problem and asked for prayers.

Now doctors have told DailyMail.com they believe he is likely suffering from liver disease, based on images of Mr Moss showing yellowing of his eyes.

The NFL legend, 47, revealed on Instagram last night that he was “struggling with something internal” but would “get through it” and has “an amazing team of doctors.”

The former wide receiver didn’t reveal the condition, but doctors suggested a number of theories.

Dr. James Dello Russo, an optometrist in New Jersey, told DailyMail.com that it was clear Moss had jaundice, a yellow discoloration of the whites of the eyes.

This is not a condition in itself, but is normally a symptom of cirrhosis or damage to the liver.

Among the most common causes of this are viral infections, such as Hepatitis B and C, or damage to the liver from alcohol. However, there is no evidence that alcohol played a role in Moss’ condition.

In other cases, it is also possible that the condition is caused by liver cancer or an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body.

Dr. Dello Russo told DailyMail.com: ‘Randy doesn’t specify what type of internal condition he has, meaning we can only speculate about what it could be.

It’s hard to tell what he has other than jaundice, which isn’t really a condition but more just a description of a yellow discoloration of the whites of the eyes.”

Moss revealed his illness in an Instagram video released just before the Sunday NFL Countdown, saying, “Throughout the week and the holidays, your boy has been battling something internal.

“I’m fighting something man, something internal, but your boy will pull through. I now have a great team of doctors and a great family around me.’

He told fans that he would try to continue working during the illness, but in cases where the whites of his eyes were yellow, he would wear sunglasses.

Moss discussed the issue in ESPN’s coverage of Sunday NFL Countdown.

He added : ‘I just wanted to share something with you all. I made a post on Instagram maybe a few minutes ago just to tell people – you were talking about my eyes last week – and I just want to let the viewers know that me and my wife, me and my family, we’re struggling with something internally .

‘I have some great doctors around me. I couldn’t miss the show, I wanted to be here with you.’

He added that he felt “great.”

Moss has not disclosed any other details about his health and DailyMail.com has contacted him for comment.

It comes after concerns grew last week when viewers noticed Moss’ eyes appeared yellow. Since then, he has worn sunglasses during television appearances.

Jaundice is caused by the liver’s inability to break down bilirubin, a yellow substance formed when red blood cells are broken down and recycled.

According to the American Liver Foundation, approximately 100 million adults in the US have some form of liver disease, while cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, is the 11th leading cause of death in the US, accounting for 26,000 deaths per year.

In most cases, cirrhosis of the liver, or liver damage, is reversible; doctors say that people’s health condition can improve within a month.

But in more serious cases, such as liver cancer, doctors say a person is less likely to make a full recovery.

In severe cases, a person may need a liver transplant.

Dr. Dello Russo added: “If it’s hepatitis, we have a cure for that – so he can get better and get over it pretty quickly, within a month.

‘Amazingly, the liver can heal with medical treatment, potentially reversing the cause of the yellowing of the eyes.’

Hepatitis B and C are viruses that can infect the liver and can be contracted through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person.

This can be done by sharing personal items with an infected person, such as razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers, and by using unsterilized tattoo equipment.

Hepatitis B can be prevented through a vaccination, which is normally given at birth and is 80 to 100 percent effective at preventing infections. There is no vaccine against Hepatitis C, but doctors say avoiding exposure to infected body fluids can limit the risks.

Dr. Dello Russo also said Moss could be infected with Hepatitis A or D, which are also viruses that affect the liver.

Hepatitis A is transmitted through contact with contaminated food or water or an infected person and often causes mild symptoms, including jaundice, nausea and vomiting.

Hepatitis D is transmitted in a similar way, but only causes an infection if there is also a Hepatitis B infection.

Hepatitis A can also be prevented through a vaccine – given between the ages of 12 and 23 months and which is more than 95 percent effective at preventing infection.

People from a black ethnic background are more likely to get hepatitis than people from a white ethnic background, CDC research suggests, and they are also less likely to be vaccinated against the virus.

Overall, the CDC found that while 48.4 percent of white adults had been vaccinated against hepatitis B among black adults, this dropped to 34.3 percent.

There is no evidence that Moss has not received vaccinations recommended by the CDC.

Dr. Dello Russo also suggested that Moss may have suffered from gallstones, which can cause jaundice.

These form in the gallbladder, which is located just below the liver and which stores and releases bile to help digest food, and can block the tubes leading to the organ, causing the condition.

More than a million Americans are diagnosed with gallstones each year, with factors such as eating a low-fiber diet, having a family history of gallstones and drinking too little water increasing the risk.

However, research shows that the condition is most common in women and people aged 40 or older. It is also suggested that people who are overweight, sedentary or have a high-fat diet are at higher risk.

Another cause of jaundice may be nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition in which fat builds up in the liver due to poor diet and little exercise.

100 million Americans suffer from this every year, but it is more common in people who are overweight or obese.